Feed-water heater



June 16, 1925. 1,542,295

G. T. FOSTER FEED WATER HEATER Filed Jan. s1', 1922 ssneets-snee't 2 June -16, 1925. 1,542,295

' G. T. FsTER FEED WATER HEATER sheets-sheet m File@ Jan. 51. 1922.

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w/TfvsssfussA l f/mmwm/m gms@ Patented June 16, 1925'.

yuNiTlazn STATES l 1,542,295 PATENT OFFICE.

GUY T. FOSTER, orv DAYTON, OHIO, AssIGNoR To LOGOMOTIVE EcONoiviIzEa CORPORA- TION, OE NEW YORK, itx., A coEroRATION OF DELAWARE. f

FEED-WATER HEATER.

Application filed January 31, 1922.' serial No'. 533,055.

To all whom t may concern.' f

Be it known that I, GUY T. FOSTER, re siding at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, a citizen ofthe United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in F eed-Water Heaters, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to feed water heaters and consists in improvements upon such a structure as is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States N o. 1,331,845, granted on Vmy application February 24, 1920. The objects of my improvements are` increased efliciency and fuller adaptation to service conditions.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Fig. I- is aY View in side elevation of the anterior portion of the boiler.

of a locomotiveengine. In this illustration the front end ofthe boileris truncated and the casing is broken away to show in elevation the heater within the smoke box. Fig. II is a View in front elevation of the assembly -shown in Fig. I. Fig. III isa-fragmentary view to larger scale, corresponding to Fig. II, but showing the structure in greater detail. Fig. IV is a fragmentary View in cross section, Vshowing the rack for the tubes in position in the smoke box. Fig. V is aview in vertical section through vone of they headers of the heater detached "from its location in the locomotive, and showing in elevation the circulation tubes. The outward extending ends of these tubes are, `however, broken away. Fig. VI is a viewiin side elevation, and Fig. VII a view partly in end. elevation, partly in transverse vertical section of the same structure as 'that illustrated in Fig. V. The plane of section of Fig. V is indicated by the line V-V, Fig, VII, and the plane .of section of Fig. VII is indicated by the line VII-VII, Fig. V. Fig. VIII is a view to still larger scale in longitudinal and medialsection of one of the circulation pipes secured in the header walls.` s j I would preface further description with the remark that I show the heater of my invention in application to a locomotive engine, because that is the application in which I have developed it; but it will be' understood that in so doing I do not limit the invention to use on locomotives. It is a preheater for steam boilers and is applicable to steam boilers generally.

This preheater, or feed water heater (both terms are in use) is arranged inthe smokebox 1 of a'locomotive 2. `It extends from the anterior end of the smoke-box rearward toward the boiler proper. It is a two-part structure, arranged half on either side of the mid-line of the smoke-box, and in its rearward extent it lies on either side of the draftV of steam from the exhaust 3 to the pipe 4 leading to the smokestack 5. As will be observed (Fig. II) the heater extends vertically from a level lower than the steam exhaust to a level higher than the lower end of pipe 4.

'The' two-part heater isl bi-laterally symmetrical, and it will suffice to describe particularly one part. Each part consists of a header 6, arranged at the anterior end of the smoke box and circulation pipes 7 (a bank of pipes to each header) communicating with the headers, extending rearwardly from the headers,and accessible to the penetration of hot gases between and around the pipes..V l

Comparing Figs. I and II, it will sutlice to remark (the arrangement is of the essence of the invention of my earlier patent referred to) that the flow of hot gases is forward from the boiler iues in divided stream on each sidel of the vsmoke box through the two banks of tubes then toward the mid-line of the smoke box, where the two streams unite.V The united stream iiows first rearward and then coming in the line of the steam exhaust it is carried upward and'out throughthe smokestack. The first feature of invention has to do with the mounting of the heater in the smoke box. A sill 19 is provided, and to it the header along its lower edge is secured. This sill plate at its outer end, the end, that is, which in assembly comes adjacent the smoke-box wall, is so formed'as to constitute a foot, as by the lug 20, at the opposite end the sill extends beyond the vedge of the header and lis by such extension adapted to be secured, as by a bolt hole for an anchoring bolt. The header above is provided with an outstanding bracket 21 through which attachment to the smoke-box wall may be eifected, as by bolting. On the inner wall of the smoke box a seat is formed for the sill 19, as by the block 22 and post 23, The Istructure ossesses ,these features-z First, surfaces o block 22 and post 23 are surfaces upon which the header may be slid to place; second, the overlapping lugs of sill 9` andl block 22 aiord a union such that the sill ma7 be secured by a single bolt or single line of bolts 24 (of. Fig. I.) 5 third, the bolts 24 (or equivalent securing means) placed as they are beyond the edge of the header and toward the mid-line of the smoke box, are easily accessible for assembly and removal; fourth, the whole header structure is secured at three points, and by at the most two boltsortwo lines of bolts fifth, the bolt holes for securing the sill to the header may be made oversize, and the overlapping lugs of sill 19 and block 22 may be arranged with clearance (see Fig. III) to the end that thermal expansion and contraction may be free longitudinally of the sill from the anchorage 24.

The otherwise free'ends of the circulation pipes rest in. racks 10, and these racks are provided with shoes` 25. A bracket 26 (one or more, as may be required) is properly arranged within the smoke boX, and on this bracket or brackets the shoes 25 slide until rack 10 attains desired position.

Slotted pins 27 with locking wedges 28 secure the-rackinplace on the, bracket. This mode of mounting and securing makes possible assembly and removal `with greatest facility and expedition.

T he heater unit including header and circulation tubes may be assembled with sill and with rack and the whole introduced into and removed from the Ysmoke box as circumstances may require. The securing devices are as-has been said simple andaccessible.

In the structure of my prior patent already alluded to the header is subdivided interiorly into anterior and posterior chambers, and the circulation of water is from anteri-or chamber through tube and to` posterior chamber. I now additionally provide for the repeated flow of the water through a succession of tubes. This accomplishby subdividing the anterior and posterior chambers of the earlier patent and forminga plurality of pairs of chambers in each header bringing the intake chamber of each succeeding pair into commimication with the outflow chamber of the preceding pair. Reerring to Figs. V and VII, not only is the space within the header divided by the transverse and vertical wall 12 into anterior and posterior chambers, but it is further subdivided by horizontal partitions 29 into a succession oi' pairs ofvanterior and posterior chambers. And, with Fig. V particularly in View, in which the right-hand side is `the anterior side, and with the lowerrnost anterior chamber and the outflow from the uppermostposterior chamber, it will be seen that the lowermost posterior 'chamber communicates directly through port 30 with the anterior chamber ot the nexthigher pair, and so on until the Vuppermost" posterior chamber is reached,

whence ,there is direct escape to the boiler. The number of these transverse partitions may be increased indefinitely; it will be understood that with every such partition the same volumes of water 'are caused to circulate another time through the' heating region. I find it Vconvenient still further to subdivide the space within the header by a vertical and longitudinal, web 31.

Fig. VIH shows certain retinements of structure concerning the setting of the circulation tubes.y in the headers.. The tubes are ot' the Field type explained in my prior patent; they are formed of concentrical-ly arranged pipes of larger and smaller diameter, the outer closed and the inner openended The circulation is out from the header through the inner pipe, and back through the space between theV pipes. Accordingly, the outer pipe is set in the pos terior wall of the header, and the inner in the vpartition wal] l2.

A Vstock 32 with a conical threaded base is seated in the anterior wallovf thel header, which in Fig. VIII bears the reference numeral 6. This stock spans the anterior chamber and its posterior end ormsa plug 33 which comes snugly to place inan open- 100 ing in the partition wall l2'. The stock is hollow, there is communication from the anterior chamber of the header through lateral openings into the hollow space within, and the hollow opens longitudinally through the plug 33 which as already explainedcomes to posit-ionin an opening in partition wall l2. Into thisy longitudinal opening in the posterior end of the stockthe inner pipe 34 of the Field tube is threaded. A jamb 110 nut 35 secures the assembly. The posterior end of pipe 34 is slit and tongues 36 are bentaside, to serve as centering means 'for the tree end of the inner pipe within the outer. The outer pipe is as before screwthreaded `or expanded or welded into the. posterior wall of the header. It is in virtue of the act that the front wallof the header `and the partition wall l2 are provided with openings for the reception oi stock 32 that before introduction of the stock the outer pipe 7 when brought to place is through the said openings accessible and its inner end may thus be reached and eX- panded or swedged to place in the posterior wall of the header.

`According to' the specification of my earlier patent, the 'Field tubes ot the heater being placed in alignment `with the, boiler understanding that the intake vis to theues, both inner and outer pipes were removable rearwardly through the boiler flues; according to the present arrangement, stock 32 with the inner pipe which it carries are removable as a unit through the anterior wall of the header, and to this end the stock 32 is provided exteriorly with a block 37 which affords a wrench seat.

The mode of assembly is believed to be sufficiently explained in the foregoing description.

The course of low may be briefly indicated. Incoming water from the tank or other source of supply gains access to the lowermost anterior chamber of the header through intake connection 13, and outflowing water passes from the uppermost posterior chamber to the boiler through outlet connection 14. Below-oif nipples for anterior and posterior chambers are indicated aty 38 and' 39.

I claim as my invention:

1. A feed-water heater equipment for a locomotive engine including in combination with a horizontally disposed cylindrical smoke-box, a smokestack rising vertically from said smoke-box at a point intermediate the length of the smoke-box, and a steam exhaust directed vertically upward diametrically through the smoke-box and into the smokestack, of twin heater halves provided with sill-plates, seats for said heater halves formed within the smoke-box, veach seat including an inwardly opening horizontal slot arranged on either side adjacent the smoke-box wall and adapted to receive the sill-plates of the heater halves when thrustl laterally in outward direction away from the medial vertical plane of the smokebox, and means arranged adjacent the medial verticalplane of the smoke-box for securing to place said heater halves when so thrust outward. t

2. A feed-water heater equipment for a locomotive engine including in combination with Y a horizontally disposed cylindrical smoke-box, a smokestack rising' vertically from said smoke-box at a point intermediate the length of the smoke-box, and a steam exhaust directed vertically upward dia metrically through the smoke-box and into the smokestack, of twin heater halves each consisting of an anterior header provided with a sill-plate and of rearwardly extending circulation pipes, and means within the smoke-(box for receiving andl sustaining the heater halves in removable condition, such means including slotted blocks for the sill-plates of the headers arranged on either side adjacent the walls of the smoke-box, posts for supporting the sill-plates of the headers adjacent the medial vertical plane through the smoke-box, and racks for the circulation pipes, and removable means for securing the sills of the headers to said posts. t

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand. i

GUY T. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. KRAMETZ, JEANNE'rrE 'Ga Koerier.; 

